overthewater
Established Member
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- 16 Apr 2012
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Deutsche Bahn has agreed in principle to sell off it's UK Arriva bus operations to First Bus.
DB has been looking for a seller for the past year, as it believes the UK bus market isn't with the hassle anymore with the onset of Brexit, and the continuous fluctuations in the UK pound is making it harder to operate at a profit. The sell off is part of a wide restructuring of the DB operations across EU, where it would see "Arriva" rebranded as "Ankunft and "Aankomst" to promote a more positive name for the remaining operations.
It's been reported by Josie Cox Business Editor of the Independent, the deal has now finally been struck where it would transfer all UK bus operations to Firstbus for £250 Million plus debts. Some questions were raised about overlapping areas but it was made clear plans were in place to iron out any issues.
* Manchester: No change would take place since bus franchising in Manchester is on the table. With Stagecoach, Transdev, Rotala plc and First all in for the bidding, the tendering would still be highly competitive.
* Leicester's: First has agree to operate a revised network with a headway of every 7/8 min on all main corridors on weekday for the next 3 years until 1st April 2021, to insure no reduction in service will take place.
* Yorkshire: Yorkshire Tiger operations would be place in a separate trust with First holding 50% of the share and the employees getting the other 50%.
One operation would be sold off immediately, that being Wales to Rotala plc for £40million. The main reason being touted was First couldn't be bothered having to dealing any more with the Welsh Government and their backward thinking.
Giles Fearnley said it was a yeehaa moment, being able to expand its UK bus operations for a song, and believes this was golden opportunity to help expand the business and pay off debts.
Manfred Rudhart Arriva Chief Executive Officer was happy to see the back of the operations, and was quoted "Its someone elses problem now, First can deal with that awful Andy Burnham and his bus franchising in Manchester, while I will no longer have to deal with those awful people from kent"
DB has been looking for a seller for the past year, as it believes the UK bus market isn't with the hassle anymore with the onset of Brexit, and the continuous fluctuations in the UK pound is making it harder to operate at a profit. The sell off is part of a wide restructuring of the DB operations across EU, where it would see "Arriva" rebranded as "Ankunft and "Aankomst" to promote a more positive name for the remaining operations.
It's been reported by Josie Cox Business Editor of the Independent, the deal has now finally been struck where it would transfer all UK bus operations to Firstbus for £250 Million plus debts. Some questions were raised about overlapping areas but it was made clear plans were in place to iron out any issues.
* Manchester: No change would take place since bus franchising in Manchester is on the table. With Stagecoach, Transdev, Rotala plc and First all in for the bidding, the tendering would still be highly competitive.
* Leicester's: First has agree to operate a revised network with a headway of every 7/8 min on all main corridors on weekday for the next 3 years until 1st April 2021, to insure no reduction in service will take place.
* Yorkshire: Yorkshire Tiger operations would be place in a separate trust with First holding 50% of the share and the employees getting the other 50%.
One operation would be sold off immediately, that being Wales to Rotala plc for £40million. The main reason being touted was First couldn't be bothered having to dealing any more with the Welsh Government and their backward thinking.
Giles Fearnley said it was a yeehaa moment, being able to expand its UK bus operations for a song, and believes this was golden opportunity to help expand the business and pay off debts.
Manfred Rudhart Arriva Chief Executive Officer was happy to see the back of the operations, and was quoted "Its someone elses problem now, First can deal with that awful Andy Burnham and his bus franchising in Manchester, while I will no longer have to deal with those awful people from kent"
